You Won’t Need Your Glasses To See Your Computer Screen With UC Researcher’s New Software

MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Miguel Chateloin uses a computer to write code that would allow people living in Cuba to use email to post to blogs during the Hackathon for Cuba event on February 1, 2014 in Miami, Florida. The hackathon brought together experts and programmers to devise innovative technology solutions aimed at strengthening communications and information access in Cuba. The event is organized by Roots of Hope with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

BERKELEY (CBS) — There is help on the way for anyone who has to wear glasses every time they look at a computer, or a phone.

There is now some very smart software that could make things crystal clear.

Brian Barsky, Professor of Computer Science at UC Berkeley worked with researchers at MIT to create prescription software for computer screens that would basically “undo …vision problems and put on the same screen an image that if that viewer would look at it, it would seem to be sharp.”

It sounds complicated, but Barsky’s demonstration made it simple.

He started with a letter ‘e’ that, by design, looked a little off. After using the software, the same letter was calculated and displayed in such a way that once it reaches a farsighted eye – it looked perfectly focused.

“The idea – again – is to compensate for the visual problems of the particular viewer,” said Barsky. “Essentially what we’re doing is altering the light that comes out of each pixel in a very carefully controlled fashion.”

“As you can see, it’s a very simplistic situation we have here,” said Barsky. “It’s really proof of a concept.”

Eventually, Barsky’s software might provide help for people with far more serious vision problems.

“The part that I’m most passionate about is not the convenience for the billions of people who have eyeglasses, but for the millions who have problems with their eyes that are not correctable by eyeglasses,” said Barsky.

Barsky’s research will be presented at a computer conference in August.